User:DenisYurkin/Ia/Fanari Villas

Listing item in Ia article: 
 * About a dozen villas/suites styled as traditional cavehouses. One of the choice places for celebrating a wedding, alone or with few friends. All staff is dressed in white. Features restaurant and bar, shared swimming pool with a jacuzzi, sauna and bathroom. Kitchen with full set of dishes, microwave, small electric stove. Prices might make one think it's 5-star luxury, but it's not -- you're paying for a great view and for quiteness. Despite the prices, pool, jacuzzi and chaise-longues have limited availability, and maintenance can be lacking. Further details in Ia/Fanari Villas.

Proposed Ia/Fanari Villas article: 

Things to consider before you go
From 2001 to 2005 Fanari expanded in number of rooms and space in them; prices doubled; level of service improved slightly.

Choosing a right room
Rooms are quite different, so ask for photos of what's available before you confirm your booking.

Details of the specific rooms:
 * #12 (suite): two(!) double beds; no mobile phone coverage anywhere in the room; a church and personnel-only room from "private" terrace (and personnel walking in couple of times a day), otherwise one of the most isolated terraces in the hotel. Church (St. Catherine's) is quite small still beautiful. Opens every Nov 26 only (birthday of St. Catherine)--and can be showed in the rest of year for few minutes upon a kind request, if you catch the keeper.


 * #4 and #6: overlooking the sunbath space.

Counter to what web site says...

 * Pool is open 10am to sunset time (closed for cleaning before 10am) -- so you can make photo with a pool in a sunset, and then it's closed.
 * Jacuzzi is cold-water only, and not always cleaned well
 * Bar not seen working, at least in a daytime.

Tips once you are there

 * There's a hidden "private" Church of St. Catherine, see suite #12

Private restaurant
(review of the private restaurant)

Special needs
All suites have a safe box.

Marriage and honeymoon

 * Ask at reception for photo album of previous marriages celebrated at Fanari.
 * A bottle of champagne (Freixenet) and plate of fruits (apples, nectarines, oranges) in the room upon arrival.

Workaholics
Notebook is available upon request (not tried so far; no wired/wireless Internet found in suites)

Cooking
There's a kitchen with full set of dishes, microwave, small electric stove. However, there isn't many grocery stores on the islands, and people staying at Fanari typically eat in restaurants.

Group travellers
Space for sunbaths near the pool is limited to ~5 chaise-longues with umbrellas.

General reference

 * Owners: Alexandra Darzentas and Manolis Darzentas.